A 24-year-old Georgia man who threatened to destroy federal buildings has been sentenced to a year in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Michael Robert DeJong of Auburn pleaded guilty in May to threatening to burn Federal Bureau of Investigation buildings, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Any threat to national security, however communicated, must be taken seriously, investigated thoroughly, and prosecuted fully, even if ultimately determined to be a hoax,” U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said. “This repeat offender is being justly punished for his actions.”
On Feb. 4, DeJong sent a message to the “complaint” page of the FBI Web site stating that he would “destroy every single FBI building. Starting here in Atlanta,” according to court testimony.
DeJong’s message also included various statements regarding “failure,” “loss of hope,” and “loss of trust” in the country, as well as a comment that he is a “hero for [his] people.”
The message was traced to a publicly used library computer, and DeJong was arrested.
DeJong was previously convicted in 2008 for interfering with the performance of the Secret Service. He served a year in federal prison for that crime and was still on supervised release when he sent the threatening e-mail to the FBI earlier this year.
In addition to the one-year sentence given Wednesday, Judge William C. O’Kelley sentenced DeJong to another 10 months in prison for violating the terms of his release.
DeJong will serve the 10-month supervised release sentence after he serves the one-year sentence imposed for the new conviction involving the FBI hoax.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
